Needle welding machine



1941- 0. J. RAINVILLE 2,251,957

NEEDLE WELDING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet l Omerlflmhrd/e Aug. 12, 1941. o. J. RAINVILLE NEEDLE WELDING MACHINE Filed June 1'7, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Umer J Fainn'llz 12,1941 o. J. RAINVILLE 2,251,957

NEEDLE WELDING MACHINE Filed June 17, 1940 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 M 0m J Kain/die Patented Aug. 12, 1941 NEEDLE WELDING MACHINE Omer J. Rainville, South Attleboro, Mass, assignor to E. Z. I. Needle Company, Incorporated, Providence, R.

Application June 17, 194%), Serial No. 341,051

20 Claims.

This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in needle welding machines.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a needle welding machine especially designed for the welding of a resilient thread guide arm to the shank of a needle, particularly a sewing machine needle of the type disclosed in application for patent filed by Omer J. Rainville for Sewing machine needle on April 30, 1940, Serial No. 332,552.

A further object of the invention is to provide a needle welding machine wherein needle blanks are delivered to a rotatable drum with devices for positioning and holding a needle blank for placement and contact therewith of a resilient thread guide arm combin d with welding devices for attaching the resilient thread guide arm to the shank of the needle blank in proximity of the eye end thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide a needle welding machine wherein preformed needle welding blanks with flattened sides having a longitudinally extending center rib at the fiattened side defining laterial thread guide grooves is adapted to have a resilient thread guide arm welded to the flattened side in proximity of the eye end of the needle blank, the resilient thread guide arm being delivered to the machine in continuous strip form from a reel with cutting and shaping dies for cutting the strip into thread guide arm length and moving the same into engagement with needle blank.

A further object of the invention is to provide a needle welding machine of the foregoing character wherein the needle blanks have flattened sides to which a resilient thread guide arm is attached by a welding operation, the needle blank comprising a mounting hub and shank connected by a conical neck having an arcuate flattened depression with positioning fingers cooperating with the supporting hub and arcuate flattened face in the conical neck of the needle blank for locating the lattened side of the needle blank in position for contact and placement therewith of the resilient thread guide arm.

With the above and other objects in view that will become apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in general of certain novel details of construction and combination of parts hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawlugs and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a needle welding machine constructed in accordance with the present invention, showing the welding apparatus and the control means therefor for attaching a resilient thread guide arm to the shank of a needle blank.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary and elevational view showing a part of the operating devices for the movable elements of the machine,

Figure 3 is a vertical cross-sectional view showing the hopper for feeding needle blanks to a drum rotated in step-by-step movement, the needle blank rotating and positioning members and the carrier and operating means therefor for the resilient thread guide arm to carry the same to the needle blank on the drum,

Figure 4 is a fragmentary vertical longitudinal sectional view showing the feed rollers for the strip of material from which the resilient thread guide arms are cut and formd and illustrating a needle blank supported on the rotatable drum below the carriers,

Figure 5 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 55 of Figure 3,

Figure 6 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken on line 6-6 of Figure 5,

Figure 7 is a detail sectional view showing the vertically slidable carrier for the resilient thread guide arm in its upper position and a supporting finger cooperating therewith for holding the resilient thread guide arm in position for delivery to a peripheral seat in the rotatable drum,

Figure 8 is a detail view similar to Figure 7 showing the vertically slidable carrier for the resilient thread guide arm in its lowered position to place the thread guide arm upon a needle blank carried by the drum and with the finger for retaining the thread guide arm in position on the carrier shifted to its releasing position,

Figure 9 is a detail sectional View showing the needle blank supported on the drum with the mounting hub and conical neck thereof engaged by the tensioned levers that respectively rotate and hold the needle blank in position with the combined vertically slidable carrier and die for cutting a resilient thread guide arm, from a strip of material in its upper position and with the pro iecting eye end of the needle blank supported upon a lower negative electrode,

Figure 10 is a detail sectional view similar to Figure 9, showing the combined carrier and die in its lowered position for holding the resilient thread guide arm on the shank of the needle blank and with the upper movable positive electrode engaged with the adjacent end of the resilient thread guide arm,

Figure 11 is a detail view, partly in section,

showing the tensioned lever for rotating the needle blank on the supporting drum into position to present the flat side of the shank of the needle in an upward direction,

Figure 12 is a detail view, partly in section, showing the tensioned lever engaging the upper flat side of the needle blank for holding the same in position,

Figure 13 is a side elevational View of the combined carrier and die for the resilient thread guide arm,

Figure 14 is a front elevational view of the carrier and die,

Figure 15 is a top plan View of the carrier and die or cutter, and

Figure 16 is a side elevational view of the completed needle with the resilient thread guide arm welded to the shank of the needle blank.

The needle welding machine comprises a frame shown more clearly in Figures 1, 2 and 4 as having a base plate 20 from which a perpendicular wall it rises therefrom adjacent one end, the upper side edges of the wall 2! being arched toward each other and carrying a pair of upright side bars 22 that merge together at their upper ends and from which merged upper ends rises a vertical arm 23. A pair of horizontal bars 24 project laterally of the upper end of the perpendicular wall 2! at opposite sides thereof and overlie the base plate 2 3, while a perpendicular bearing plate 25 rises from the outer ends of the bars 24, the upper ends of the arm 23 and the bearing plate 25 terminating in the same horizontal plane and each being provided with a shaft bearing 25 at its upper end. The frame structure described supports a rotatably mounted wheel or drum upon the peripheral wall of which needle blanks are supported with devices for rotating the drum in a step-by-step movement to position a groove in the peripheral surface thereof for the reception of a needle blank, devices for effecting step-by-step rotation of the drum, means for feeding a strip of wire from a reel into the machine with devices for cutting off a section of the strip of wire into a length to produce a resilient thread guide arm and carrying said cut length of wire into position for placement upon the shank of a needle blank and means for electrically welding the resilient thread guide arm to the needle blank.

The needle blank supporting drum designated by the reference character 2'! has a center hub or bearing 28 fixed to the shaft 29 that is horizontally journaled in the bearing 36 carried by the perpendicular wall 2 l, the shaft 29 extending beyond the bearing and having a gear wheel 3i fixed thereto. The drum 2? is dished inwardly at its outer side to provide an inclined annular wall 32' that is engaged by a spring-pressed friction block 33 carried by a support 34 mounted on the base plate for steadying rotation of the drum 2'! and acting to restrain vibratory movements thereof. The peripheral surface of the drum 2'! is provided with four transversely extending grooves 35 having entrance depressions 36 at one side thereof, the grooves 35 being adapted for the reception and support of a needle blank, a finished needle being shown in Figure 16 as comprising a mounting hub 31, a shank 38 and a conical neck 39 connecting the mounting hub and shank. One side of the conical neck 39 is concaved and flattened as at 49 and one side of the needle shank 38 is cut away as at M for the reception of a resilient thread guide arm 42.

The needle blanks without the resilient thread guide arm 42 are placed in a hopper 43 supported on the frame structure of the machine and said hopper, as shown in Figure 3, has a discharge chute 44, the lower outlet end of which extends across the peripheral surface of the drum 2'! so that during rotation of the drum by means presently to be described, the needle blanks are singly fed to the needle blank supporting grooves 35 in the drum as will at once be apparent from an inspection of Figure 3.

The operating devices for effecting step-bystep rotation of the drum 2! include a power driven universal connector 45 in communication with a shaft 416 horizontally journaled on the frame structure at the upper ends of the side bars 22, the shaft 66 carrying a worm 41 that meshes with a relatively large worm wheel 48 that is fixed to one end of the shaft 49 journaled in the bearings at the upper ends of the vertical arm 23 and the perpendicular bearing plate 25. As shown in Figure l, the disk 58 has the shaft 59 extending eccentrically therethrough with the disk 5%] anchored to said shafts, a two-part band strap 5i surrounding the cocentrically mounted disk 59 and having the ends thereof secured together as at 5'2. A pitman rod 53 having a turn-buckle adjustment 54 has one end secured to the band strap 51 and the other or lower end thereof that extends downwardly between the horizontal arms 24 pivotally connected at its lower end as at 55 to an arm 55 projecting outwardly from a bearing 5! journaled on the shaft 29 between the hub 28 of the drum 2? and bearing 38 carried by the perpendicular wall 2i. The tubular bearing 51 carries at the side thereof diametrically opposite the arm 56 a longer arm 58 that has pivotally mounted at its outer end as at 59 a pawl 66 that is tensioned by the spring 6! carried by the arm 58.

As shown in Figures 1, 3 and 4 the hub 28 of th drum 2'1 adjacent the bearing El carries four peripheral ratchet teeth 82 spaced 90 apart for cooperation with the tensioned pawl 60 and said ratchets are respectively radially alined with the needle blank receiving grooves in the peripheral surface of the drum. Also, the eccentrically mounted disk 50 is of such size as to cause rotation of the drum 21 through an arc of by means of the pawl and ratchet devices during a ninety-degree rotation of the eccentric disk 56 and resulting in the positioning of one of the peripheral slots in the drum 2'! with the needle blank therein to have a resilient thread guide arm welded thereto. It will also be understood that during rotation of the drum 2'! beneath the discharge chute 44 of the needle blank hopper 43, a needle blank will pass from the discharge chute into a groove 35 registering therewith and that the intermediate plain surfaces of the drum between the grooves provide a closure for the discharge chute.

As customary with sewing machine needles, the shank 38 of the needle is cylindrical in crosssection and the cut-away side portion 4| provides a fiat side face, while the resilient thread guide arm 42 is of a cross-sectional shape providing a flat side engageable with the flat side 41 of the shank 33 and an outer rounded side that restores the shank of the needle to complete cylindrical formation. The resilient thread guide arm 42 is preformed in the shape described in cross-section and is fed from a continuous wire unwinding from a reel, the strand of wire 42 as illustrated being fed between a pair of rollers 63 and 64 superposed with respect to each other as shown in Figures 2 and 4, the upper roller 84 being annularly grooved as at 65 to take the rounded side of the wire strand 42. A resilient mounting 66 is provided for the upper feed roller 64 to provide the desired frictional engagement with the wire strand 42 to effect feeding thereof through the machine. The bearing shafts 51 and 68 for th feed rollers 63 and 64 are journaled in a frame plate 69 carried by a base member I supported on a block II at the upper side of the bearing 36 outwardly of the perpendicular wall of the frame structure in line with the opening between the upright side bars 22.

The operating means for the feed rollers and 64 includes meshing gears I2 and I3 respectively carried by corresponding ends of the shafts 61 and S8. A worm wheel I4 is fixed to the end of the shaft 61 projecting outwardly of the gear I2 and said worm wheel I4 is engaged by a worm I5 fixed to a shaft I6 that carries a gear wheel I 1 meshing with the gear wheel 35 It will therefore be seen that upon rotation of the drum 2?, step-by-step rotation is imparted to the shaft 28 and gear train 3!, 11, T5, 14, I2, and I3 for the rotation of the feed rollers 63 andl 54 in a stepby-step movement for feeding the wire strand 42 The wire strand 42 is fed through the machine and is guided in its movements by a pair of superposed guide bars I8 and I9 shown more clearly in Figures 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10, the guide bars 68 and E9 being supported at corresponding ends in the upper end of the perpendicular Wall II, the other ends of the bars 18 and 19 being seated in the saddle 82! with the ends 8| of the saddle supported upon the upper sides of the horizontal bars 24 and anchored thereto by the screws 82. i

The ends of the bars 18 and 79 supported in the saddle 80 as shown in Figure 6 are anchored therein by the screws 83 and the bottom face of the upper bar I8 has a longitudinally extending groove therein to accommodate the guiding passage for the wire strand 42 Means is provided for cutting a length or" wire from the strand 52 to form a resilient thread guide arm 42 as the same pass-es outwardly of th forward ends of the guide bars I8 and I9 and said means includes a combined carrier and die shown in detail in Figures 13, 14 and and in cooperation with other elements of the machine in Figures l, 5 and 7 to 10, the combined carrier and die being designated in general by the reference character 84 and comprising a block 85, the dove-tailed formation having the wider flat face 86 thereof slidably engaged with the inner face of the perpendicular bearing plate and retained in position for vertical sliding movements by means of the retainer strips 81 overlying the beveled sides 88 of the block 85 with the retainer strips 81 anchored as at 89 to the bearing plate 25. The block 85 of the combined carrier and die comprises a horizontal central body portion 99 shown in Figure 4 as having a pair of apertured upstanding arms 9| rising therefrom for purposes presently to appear and a depending central rib 92 to the front and rear faces of which a pair of die plates 93 and 94 are respectively secured by the screw 95. The lower end of the die plate 93 moves over the adjacent ends of the guide bars I8 and I9 for severing a length of wire from the strand 42 to provide a resilient thread guide arm, the bottom face of the die plate 93 being grooved as at 95 to seat the thread guide arm 42. The lower end of the die plate 94 carries a depending fork 91 to straddle the resilient thread guide arm 42 and guide the same in its movement downwardly into engagement with the flat side M of the needle shank 38.

Means is provided for holding the thread guide arm 42 in the groove at the lower end of the die plate 93 and in the fork 9'! at the lower end of the die plate 94 and said means is shown more clearly in Figures 3, 7, 8 and 14, the same comprising a bell-crank lever 98 pivoted intermediate its ends as at 99 between a pair of lugs I I19 projecting laterally of the combined carrier and die, the lower arm IilI of the bell-crank lever carrying a laterally directed finger I62 that is adapted to extend across the forked lower end 91 of the die plate 94 for supporting engagement with the resilient thread guide arm 42 to retain the same in position on the carrier until the carrier is lowered to deposit the thread guide arm onto the needle shank 38. The upper lever arm I63 of the bell-crank lever 98 has a spring connection I65 with the upper end of the combined carrier and die for normally influencing the lowcr lever arm IBI and finger IE2 carried thereby away from its supporting position with respect to the thread guide arm @2. A vertical plate I is secured to the inner side of the perpendicular bearing plate 25 and has a vertical bar I36 with a lower beveled end it! secured thereto. An arm led is pivoted at its lower end as at [d9 upon the vertical plate I05, the upper terminal end of the arm I08 being beveled as at I It) while a spring iii engaged with the upper end of the arm Hi8 normally influences the upper end thereof into engagement with the vertical bar Illii. When the combined carrier and die is at its limit of upward movement, the upper end of the bell-crank lever arm its has a laterally extending pin II2 carried to be disposed at the upper bevel end IIQ of the arm I38. Upon downward movement of the combined carrier and die 84, the pin I I2 upon the upper end of the bell-crank lever rides over the upper bevel end IID of the pivoted arm I08 to move down the outer side thereof as illustrated in Figure 7 for moving the bell-crank lever 98 on its pivot 99 against the tension of the spring Mi l for positioning the finger IE2 across the fork II of the die plate 94 in supporting engagement with a thread guide arm 42 located in the fork. When the combined carrier and die reaches its limit of lower movement as illustrated in Figure 8, the pin II2 carried by the bell-crank lever moves downwardly below the lower pivoted end of the arm IE8 and by action of the spring I84 the bell-crank lever is moved on its pivot 99 for displacing the finger I 52 relative to the fork 91, and positioning the pin H2 carried by the bell-crank lever to a position between the pivoted arm I08 and the beveled end IiI'I as shown in Figure 8 of the bar we, upward movement of the combined carrier and die causing the pin M2 to ride over the inclined face IB'I to move the bell-crank lever on its pivot 99 and again position the finger It?! across the fork 9?, the combined carrier and die moving upwardly a distance sufficient to position the pin II2 above the upper beveled end IID of the arm M8.

The operating means for the combined carrier and die 34 as shown in Figures 1 and 3 comprises a disk H3 eccentrically mounted upon the shaft "59 and keyed thereto, the eccentric disk 43 being surrounded by a two-part band strap I I4 with the parts of the band strap secured together as at I Hi, the lower section of the two-part band strap H carrying a depending pitman rod IIB having a turn-buckle adjustment N7, the lower end of the pitman rod II6 being pivotally attached between the upstanding ears 9! arising from the upper end of the body portion 90 of the combined carrier and die 84.

In the operation of the needle welding machine, rotation is imparted to the shaft 49 through the medium of the worm and gear drives 41 and 48 for the operation of the cam disks D and I IS, the eccentric mounting of said disks upon the shaft 49 being such that the rotatable drum 2? is stationary during descending movement of the combined carrier and die 84 under the influence of its associated operating eccentric disk I I3. The eccentric disk 59 operated by the shaft 49 lowers the pitman rod 53 to eifect a quarter revolution of the drum 27, the passage of a needle blank-receiving slot 35 in the peripheral surface of the drum receiving a needle blank from the discharge chute 44 of the hopper 43, the limit of downward movement of the pitrnan rod 53 positioning a needle blank receiving groove 35 in its uppermost position relative to the machine as illustrated in Figure 3.

The needle blank is received in the groove 35 without respect to the location of the flat side M of the shank 38 to the drum and it being essential that the flat side H of the needle blank shank be directed upwardly or outwardly of the drum,

evices are provided for effecting rotation of the needle blank and for holding the same when rotated to position the fiat side 4| in an upward direction. As shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 11 and 12, the mounting end 37 of the needle blank has the outer end thereof movable in contact with a cam bar I 58 secured to the undersides of the horizontal bars 24 and extending transversely thereof for correctly positioning the needle blank transversely of the drum 2?. When the needle blank is moved by the drum 2'! to a position beneath and between the bars 24, the same is engaged at its upper side by an arm H9 pivoted at one end as at I28 upon one of the bars 24 and springpressed as at I2I, the lower face of the lever arm H9 being serrated as at I22 to effect rotation of the needle blank when the same is moved by the drum 2! over the lower face of the lever arm I I9. The lever arm H9 has the mounting hub 31 of the needle blank moving in contact therewith. Another lever arm I23 is pivotally mounted as at I24 upon the opposite horizontal bar 24 being spring-pressed as at I25 and the lower flat face of the lever arm I23 finds seating engagement with the concaved flattened face 48 in the conical neck 39 of the needle blank and operates to hold the needle blank against rotation with the fiat side ll of the shank 38 of the needle blank in an upward direction.

The ninety-degree step-by-step rotation of the drum 2'. effects a step-by-step rotation of the shaft 29 for the gear train operation of the wire strand feed rollers 63 and 64, the wire strand 42 being fed from a reel in a step-by-step movement to project a length of the wire strand 42 beyond the ends of the guide bars I5 and I9 corresponding to the length of a thread guide arm for attachment to the needle blank. Continued rotation of the shaft 49 causes upward movement of the pitman rod 53 and an escape movement of the pawl 65 relative to the ratchet teeth 62 on the hub 23 of the drum 2'1, the escape movement of the pawl $9 rendering the drum 2'! and wire strand feed rollers 3 and 64 idle. The eccentric disk H3 is so related in its mounting on the shaft 49 to the eccentric disk E-E as to be operative for lowering the pitman rod H6 while the feed rollers are idle and the lowering movement of the combined carrier and die to cause the die plate 93 to cut the projecting end of the wire strand at the outer ends of the guide bars I8 and I9 with the cut strand section or thread guide arm 42 received in the notches in the lower ends of the die plates 93 and 94 between the depending fork 9'! with the end of the thread guide arm 42 projecting beyond the fork 91 as illustrated in Figures 4, 9 and 10. When the combined carrier and die is at its limit of upward movement, as shown in Figures '7 and 9, the finger H32 supports the thread guide arm 42 at the lower sides of the die plates 93 and 94 with the pin H2 located over the upper beveled end III of the tensioned pivoted arm I08. During downward movement of the combined carrier and die the pin II2 rides over the outer side of the tensioned pivoted arm I03 with the finger I02 retaining the thread guide arm in position. When the combined carrier and die reaches its limit of lower movement as shown in Figures 8 and 10, the pin II2 escapes the lower end of the pivoted arm IE8 and the bell-crank lever 93 being moved on its pivot 99 by means of the spring I534 displaces the finger I52 relative to its supporting position with respect to the thread guide arm and at this time the lower fiat side of the thread guide arm is placed in engagement with the upper fiat side 4i of the shank 38 of the needle blank.

The outer projecting ends of the shank 38 of the needle blank and the resilient thread guide arm 42 are welded together by means of a stationary electrode I26 and a movable electrode I27, the stationary electrode E26 being so positioned as to have the projecting end of the shank 33 of the needle blank seated thereon during rotative feeding movement of the drum 21 for the feeding blank as will at once be apparent from an inspection of Figures 9 and 10.

The operating and control devices for the electrodes I26 and I2? are illustrated in Figure 1, an upright support I28 carrying upon one face thereof a bearing I29 for a shaft #39, a threearmed lever being loosely mounted on the shaft I33 and including an elongated arm |3l extending rearwardly of the support I28 and upwardly and downwardly extending inclined arms I32 and I33 respectively disposed at the opposite side of the support I23. A coil spring I34 connects the lever arm lSI to the support I28 for normally influencing the inclined lever arm I32 in an upward direction, such movement being limited by an adjustable stop IE5 carried by an arm I36 projected laterally of the upper end of the support I28. A stop arm I3! projects from the earin I29 to be engaged by the lower lever arm I33. The stationary negative electrode I25 is carried by a member I38 mounted on the support 28. The movable positive electrode I21 is carried by one end of a lever I29 that is mounted on the shaft i353 and is adjustably fixed to said shaft by means of the set screw I4 3. The other end of the lever I39 projects rearwardly of the support 528 and has a spring connection I4I with the adjacent end of the lever arm I3I.

A pair of electrical conductors I42 leading from a source of energy is in communication with a pair of normally spaced contacts I43 and a closing device I44 pivotally mounted upon the support I28 has a spring connection I45 with the lever arm I33. The upper end of the lever arm I32 carries a transversely extending rod I46 that is adapted to be engaged by the free end of an arm I41 radially projecting from and secured by means of its bearing I48 to the adjacent end of the drive shaft 49. Upon rotation of the shaft 49, the arm It? engages the rod M6 to move the three-armed lever on the shaft I36 against the tension of the spring i3 1, pivotal movement of the three-armed lever causing the arm I33 by its resilient connection I45 with the closing device I44 for the contacts N53 to be operative for closing said contacts and through the medium of suitable wiring arrangements energizing the electrodes I26 and I21. Movement of the threearmed lever on the shaft I 36 causes pivotal movement of the lever I59 under the influence of the spring I4! so that the upper electrode I2? is lowered into engagement with the adjacent end of the resilient thread guide arm d2 as shown in Figure 10 to accomplish the welding of the thread guide arm to the shank of the needle blank.

After the thread guide arm has been welded to the shank of the needle blank, the cycle of the operation is repeated and upon rotation of the drum 2?, the resilient arm 543 secured at its lower end as at i513 to the base plate 20 has the upper end I5I thereof working in the annular groove I52 in the periphery of the drum 2'! with the upper end I5l moving into entrance slot 35 to the groove for disengaging a welded needle from the groove and causing its discharge into a suitable receptacle from the feeding drum.

From the above detailed description of the in vention, it is believed that the censtructionand operation thereof will at once be apparent, and while there are herein shown and described the preferred embodiments thereof, it is to beunderstood that minor changes may be made in the details of construction, such as will fall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a needle welding machine, wherein a resilient thread guide arm is weld-ed to the flattened side of the shank of a needle blank, a rotatable drum having needle blank supports on its peripheral surface, means engageable with the needle blank to rotate and hold the same in position with the flattened side directed away from the drum, means for feeding a strand of resilient wire into position above a needle blank supported in the drum, a combined carrier and die for cutting a thread guide arm from :the strand of resilient wire and placing the same upon the flattened side of the needle blank and means for welding the thread guide arm to the needle blank at cor responding ends thereof.

2. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein timed operating devices are provided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the wire strand feeding means and other timed op erating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest.

3. A welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the needle blank supports on the drum comprise grooves with entrance depressions laterally of the grooves, the drum having annular groove over which the needle blanks eX- tend and a resilient arm having one end riding in the annular groove at a point to effect displacement of a needle after the welding thereof.

4. ,A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein. timed operating devices are provided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the wire strand feeding means and other timed operating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest, the needle blank supports on the drum comprising grooves with entrance depressions laterally of the grooves, the drum having an annular groove over which the needle blanks extend and a resilient arm having one end riding in the annular groove at a point to effect displacement of a needle after the welding thereof.

5, A needle Welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the rotating and holding means for the needle blank comprises ,a pair of tensioned pivotally mounted arms simultaneously engaged with a needle blank, one of said arms having a serrated face to eifect turning of the needle blank and the other arm adapted to hold the needle blank against rotation when the needle blank has been rotated to present the flattened side for contact with the last named arm.

6. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein timed operating devices are provided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the .wire strand feeding means and other timed operating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest, the rotating and holding means for the needle blank comprising a pair of tensioned pivotally mounted arms simultaneously engaged with a needle blank, one of said arms having a serrated face to effect turning of the needle blank and the other arm adapted to hold the needle blank against rotation when the needle blank has been rotated to present the flattened side for contact with the last named arm.

7. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the wire strand feeding means comprises a pair of feed rollers receiving the strand from a reel, one of said rollers being tensioned towards the other roller to effect frictional engagement with the wire strand and guide bars for leading the wire from the feed rollers to the combined carrier and die.

8. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein timed operating devices are provided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the wire strand feeding means and other timed operating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest, the wire strand feeding means comprising a pair of feed rollers receiving the strand from a reel, one of said roller-s being tensioned towards the other roller to effect frictional engagement with the wire strand and guide bars for leading the wire from the feed rollers to the combined carrier and die.

9. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combined carrier and die includes a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm and means on the carrier for supporting the out strand when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum.

10.A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combined carrier and die includes a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm, a lever pivoted on the carrier having a finger at the lower end thereof for supporting the cut strand on the carrier when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum.

11. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combined carrier and die includes a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm, means on the carrier for supporting the cut strand when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum, and means for rendering the last named means inoperative when the cut strand has been placed on the needle blank.

12. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combined carrier and die includes a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm, a lever pivoted on the carrier having a finger at the lower end thereof for supporting the cut strand on the carrier when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum, and means engageable with the upper end of the lever for effecting movement thereof when the carrier and die reaches its approximate limit of downward movement for displacing the finger at the lower end of the lever relative to its cut strand supporting position.

13. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein timed operating devices are provided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the wire strand feeding means and other timed operating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest, the combined carrier and die including a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm and means on the carrier for supporting the cut strand when the carrier mo es toward the needle blank supporting drum.

14. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein timed operating devices are provided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the wire strand feeding means and other timed operating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest, the combined carrier and die including a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm and a lever pivoted on the carrier having a finger at the lower end thereof for supporting the cut strand on the carrier when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum.

15. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein timed operating devices are pro vided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the wire strand feeding means and other timed operating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest, the combined carrier and die including a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm, means on the carrier for supporting the cut strand when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum, and means for rendering the last named means inoperative when the cut strand has been placed on the needle blank.

16. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein timed operating devices are provided for rotating the drum in step-by-step movements and simultaneously operating the Wire strand feeding means and other timed operating devices for operating the combined thread guide arm carrier and die and the welding means when the aforesaid operating devices are at rest, the combined carrier and die including a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm, a lever pivoted on the carrier having a finger at the lower end thereof for supporting the cut strand on the carrier when the carries moves toward the needle blank supporting drum, and means engageable with the upper end of the lever for effecting movement thereof when the carrier and die reaches its approximate limit of downward movement for displacing the finger at the lower end of the lever relative to its out strand supporting position.

17. A needle welding macine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the welding means includes a stationary electrode upon which one end of the needle blank is supported, a movable cooperating electrode adapted to be engaged with the adjacent end of the cut strand and means for energizing the electrodes to effect welding of the cut strand as a resilient thread. guide arm to the needle blank.

18. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the welding means includes a stationary electrode upon which one end of the needle blank is supported and a movable cooperating electrode adapted to be engaged with the adjacent end of the cut strand, said electrodes being in communication with a source of electrical energy with a control switch therefor, a tensioned element adapted to be operated for closing said control switch and a support for the movable electrode resiliently engaged with said tensioned element to be moved by said tensioned element.

19. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combined carrier and die includes a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm, means on the carrier for supporting the cut strand when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum, and means for rendering the last named means inoperative when the cut strand has been placed on the needle blank, including a bell-crank lever pivoted on the combined carrier and die, the cut strand support comprising a finger projecting laterally of the lower end of the bell-crank lever, a resilient connection between the combined carrier and die and the bell-crank lever above the pivot of the latter for normally influencing the supporting finger out of its supporting position relative to the cut strand and means cooperating with the upper end of the bell-crank lever to effect pivotal movement of said bell-crank lever during the upward movement of the combined carrier and die for restoring the cut strand suporting finger to its supporting position relative to the combined carrier and die.

20. A needle welding machine as set forth in claim 1, wherein the combined carrier and die includes a die cutter for severing a length of wire from the strand to form the resilient thread guide arm, means on the carrier for supporting the cut strand when the carrier moves toward the needle blank supporting drum, and means for rendering the last named means inoperative when the cut strand has been placed on the needle blank, including a bell-crank lever pivoted on the combined carrier and die, the cut strand during the upward movement of the combined carrier and die for restoring the cut strand supporting finger to its supporting position relative to the combined carrier and die, including a pin projecting laterally of the upper end of the bellcrank lever and a tensioned pivoted arm and cam bar with which said pin is associated.

OMER J. RAINVILLE. 

